Amy Goodman segment on Rosa Parks on Parks' 100th birthday - just excellent

[janedrake]

http://www.democracynow.org/seo/2013/2/4..._recalling

Quote:Born on Feb. 4, 1913, today would have been Rosa Parks’ 100th birthday. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in
Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of resistance led to a 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus system that would help spark the civil rights movement. Today we spend the hour looking at Rosa Parks’ life with historian Jeanne Theoharis, author of the new book, "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks." Often described as a tired seamstress, no troublemaker, Parks was in fact a dedicated civil rights activist nvolved with the movement long before and after her historic action on the Montgomery bus. " Here we have, in many ways, one of the most famous Americans of the 20th century, and yet treated just like a sort of children’s book hero," Theoharis says. "We diminish her legacy by making it about a single day, a single act, as opposed to the rich and lifelong history of resistance that was actually who Rosa Parks was." We also air audio of Rosa Parks in her own words. In the midst of the boycott in April of 1956, she spoke to Pacifica Radio about the action she took.

Every morning when I'm getting ready for work, I turn on Amy Goodman on the radio. Granted, it's not always an easy listen because no one would accuse Goodman of being "too cheerful," but I find that even though I may not at times agree with her perspective on her stories, her show consistently provides the kind of detailed background and fascinating interviews that are without equal. Her show this morning, on Rosa Parks, is no exception. It's an excellent segment that includes the words of Rosa Parks in her own voice, and runs about an hour.

http://www.democracynow.org/seo/2013/2/4..._recalling